Rear-axle-housing clamp



May 13 1924. V 1,493,546

C. E. JOHNSON REAR AXLE HOUSING CLAMP Filed Aug. 11. 1923 C.E.doH.usoN,

Patented may 13, 1924.

- onannns a. JOHNSON, or DAYTON, onro, AssIenon or ONE-HALF TO JAMES o.

. renews, or DAYTON, omo.

REAR-AXLE-I-IOUSING CLAMP.

Application filed August 11, 1923. Serial No. 656,849.

T all whom it may concern. ing for holding the parts thereof together Beit known that I, CHARLES E. JoHN- and intact, even though the housing isfrac- SON. a citizen of the United States, residing tured or weakened,so as to eliminate the at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery expense ofreplacing the housing.

e and State of Ohio, have invented certain The device comprises arcuateyokes new and useful Improvements in Rearto be disposed at the oppositesides of the Axle-Housing Clamps; and I do hereby dedifferential housingand preferably shaped clare the following to be a full, clear, and so asto conform to the shape of the secexact description of the invention,such as tions 8 of the housing. Each yoke comprises in will enableothers skilled in the art to which the upper and lower sections 11 and12 havit appertains to make and use the same. ing forks or bifurcatedportions 13 and 14:,

The present invention relates to a clamp respectively, at their adjacentends. The for a rear axle housingof an automobile, branches or arms ofthe forks 13 and 14 are for use in the event that the diiferentialoverlapped, as at 15, at their adjacent ends,

15 housing becomes fractured or weakened, and the forks are of arcuateform, so that and the primary object of the invention ,is they jointlyform a ring when the sections to provide a novel and improved device for11 and 12 are assembled, in order that-the embracing the differentialhousing and holdyoke may have a ring between its ends to ing sameintact, so as to eliminate the nesurround the axle housing 7. The ringof cessity for replacing the housing. each yoke is split or divided forconven- Another object of the invention is the proience in placing theyoke around and revision of such a clamp which can he convehmoving itfrom the axle housing, and the iently placed on the housing and securedsections 11 and 12 of each yoke are provided thereto, and which willclamp the parts of with a detachable connection for conven 25 thehousing together tightly. iently assembling and separating them.

With the foregoing and other objects in Thus, the end portions of thefork 13 of view, which will be apparent as the descripthe upper section.11 of each yoke have outtion proceeds, the invention resides in thestanding inclined studs or tenons 16, and

, construction and arrangement of parts as the end portions of the fork14 of the lower to hereinafter described and claimed, it being section12 have inclined sockets or recesses understood that changes can be madewithin 17 for receiving said studs when the sections the scope of whatis claimed, without de- 11 and 12 are moved together diagonally partingfrom the spirit of the invention. relatively to one another. The studs16 and The invention is illustrated in the acconr sockets 17 beingdisposed obliquely of the 3 panying drawing, wherein yoke will serve tolock the sections together Figure 1 is a rear view of the clamp onagainst lateral separation when the sections the housing, portions bemgshown in secare under tensile strain, or under a strain tion. tending toseparate the sections, the studs Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thedevice, 16 serving as hooks over which the end 40 showing the axlehousing in cross section. portions of the fork 14: are engaged.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a The ends of the two yokes 10 areoifset part of the clamp. toward one another, as at 18, to be disposedIn the drawing there is illustrated a conat the opposite sides of theflanges 9 of the ventional rear axle housing 7 of an autohousing, andclamping bolts 19 extend 45 mobile provided between its ends with athrough said end portions of the yoke for differential housing composedof the secdrawing the ends of the yokes toward one tions 8 having theflanges 9 at their ad another and clamping the yokes under presj acentedges secured together by bolts. sure against the sections 8 of thehousing.

It sometimes happens that the differential In order to protect the endsof the clamp 50 housing will become fractured or weakened, from oil,dirt and other foreign matter, requiring the housing to be replaced,which sheet metal covers 20 are provided, which involves the expense ofa new housing and are of U-shaped section so as to fit astride theinstallation thereof. the ends of the yokes 1O transverselyof the Incarrying out the invention, the clamp flanges 9, the flanges of thecovers 20 having 55 is: designed to embrace the differential housnotches 21 to receive said flanges 9.- The covers fit the ends of theyokes closely, so as to exclude dirt and foreign matter from between theends of the yokes, and the edges of the flanges of the covers are bentinwardly, as at 22, to frictionally engage the edges of the yokes 10,whereby to retain the covers in place. Th covers are resilient so as togrip the yokes, and it is preferable to provide the yokes with notchesor grooves 23 in their edges to receive the edges 22 of the covers.

The ends of the yokes are also preferably bevelled, as at 24, so as tofit snugly together when the yokes are drawn together as closely aspossible.

The present device enables a cheap repair job to be mad when thedifferential housing is fractured or weakened, instead of requiring theexpense of a new housing. The sections of the yokes 10 are readilyassembled around the axle housing 7 by hooking the forks 13 and 14together. The bolts 19 are then inserted and tightened, which willspring the ends of the yokes toward one another and urge the yokes underpressure against the housing sections 8, whereby the clamp embraces thedifferential housing and holds the sections thereof tightly together.The covers 20 are then applied to the ends of the clamp. Theinterengaging portions of the sections of the yokes are such that thetendency for the sections to pull apart will only result in holding thesections together more tightly.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Adifferential housing clamp comprising yokes having rings between theirends to surround the axle housing, and means for connecting the endportions of the yokes to clamp them against the differential housing.

2. A differential housing clamp comprising yokes having split ringsbetween their ends to surround the axle housing, and

means .for connecting the end portions of the yokes to clamp themagainst the differontial housing.

3. A differential housing clamp comprising yokes and means forconnecting the yokes to, clamp them to the opposite sides of adifferentialhousing, each yoke being composed of sections having forksat their adjacent ends to surround the axle housing, said forks havingmeans for attaching them together around the axle housing.

41-. A differential housing clamp comprising a pair of yokes and meansfor connecting the end. portions of the yokes to clamp the yokes againstthe opposite sides of a differential housing, each yoke comprising apair of sections having forks at their adjacent ends to surround theaxle housing, and the forks of each yoke having portions to interengagefor locking the sections against separation when under tensile strain.

5. A differential housing clamp comprising a pair of yokes and means forconnecting the yokes for clamping them against the opposite sides of adifierential housing, each yoke comprising a pair of sections havingforks at their adjacent ends to surround'the axle housing, the forks ofeach yoke having a detachable connection including oblique studs carriedby some arms of the yokes and oblique sockets in the other arms of theforks to receive said studs.

6. A differential housing clamp comprising a pair of yokes and means forconnecting the end portions of the yokes to clamp the yokes against theopposite sides of the housing, each yoke comprising a pair of sec tionshaving forks at their adjacent ends to surround the axle housing, theend portions of the forks of each yoke being arranged to overlapand-saidoverlapping end portions having means to interengagetoprevent thesections from separating when under tensile strain.

7. A difierential housing clamp comprising a pair of yokes, means forconnecting the end portions of the yokes to clamp the yokes against theopposite sides of the housing, audit-shaped covers to fit over the endportions of the'yokes having notches to re- 7 ceive the flanges of thehousing.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES :E. JOHNSON.

Witnesses: I

THoMAs C. DUNN, Rosa M. DUNN.

